1992 West Virginia Attorney General election

1992 West Virginia Attorney General election

←  1990 (special) November 3, 1992 1996 →

Nominee Darrell McGraw Bob Gould Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 307,600 288,865 Percentage 51.57% 48.43%

Attorney General before election Mario Palumbo Democratic Elected Attorney General Darrell McGraw Democratic

The 1992 West Virginia Attorney General election took place on November 3, 1992, to elect the Attorney General of West Virginia. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Mario Palumbo chose not to seek re-election to a full term, instead choosing to run for governor.

Democratic nominee Darrell McGraw beat Republican nominee and lawyer Robert Gould.

Democratic primary

Four days before the Democratic primary on May 12, two women, whose faces and voices were electronically altered, appeared on WCHS-TV accusing Ed ReBrook of sexual misconduct. The station subsequently aired similar charges by four other women whose identities were made public. One of the accusers claimed that ReBrook asked for oral sex in return for legal work. Later it was discovered that Mary Healey, a person who once shared an office space with ReBrook, admitted she was one of the two original women who anonymously accused him on WCHS-TV, saying that he had made sexual advances towards her. ReBrook denied the allegations and sued WCHS-TV for $20 million.

Candidates

Nominee

• Darrell McGraw, former justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. ^[1]

Eliminated in primary

• Ed ReBrook, Charleston lawyer.

Declined

Mario Palumbo, incumbent Attorney General. (ran for governor)

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Darrell McGraw	Ed ReBrook	Undecided
West Virginia Poll [2]	April 27 - 30, 1992	318 (V)	± 5.5%	31%	13%	56%
West Virginia Poll [3]	February, 1992	325 (RV)	± 5.4%	35%	15%	50%

Results

May 12, Democratic primary ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Darrell McGraw	156,409	55.76%
	Democratic	Ed ReBrook	124,091	44.24%
Total votes			280,500	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Robert James Gould, lawyer.

Results

May 12, Republican primary ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Robert J. Gould	88,576	100.00%
Total votes			88,576	100.00%

General election

Heading in to the general election, there were questions about whether Gould met the qualifications for the five-year requirement to live in West Virginia to run for public office. ^{[6] [7]}

Results

1992 West Virginia Attorney General election ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Darrell McGraw	307,600	51.57%
	Republican	Robert J. Gould	288,865	48.43%
Total votes			596,465	100.00%
	Democratic hold

References

1. Martha Bryson Hodel (May 13, 1992). "McGraw wins Democratic bid for attorney general". Point Pleasant Register .
2. Peter Mattiace (May 8, 1992). "McGraw, Hechler, Gainer lead in poll". Point Pleasant Register .
3. "Poll shows Caperton; Clinton lead". Williamson Daily News . February 24, 1992.
4. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1992 - Page 502" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
5. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1992 - Page 528" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.
6. Aviva L. Brandt (November 4, 1992). "McGraw wins attorney general's race". Point Pleasant Register .
7. "Grand jury looking into Gould's residency". Williamson Daily News . October 10, 1992.
8. "West Virginia Blue Book - 1993 - Page 696" (PDF). West Virginia Legislature.